Reform UK has been accused of trying to «distract» voters from a funding scandal following the launch of a mobile game about intercepting migrant boats. The game, titled Small Boat Scramble, was unveiled by Nigel Farage’s party on Monday, with political opponents dismissing it as a «stunt and a gimmick».
In the game, players captain a Royal Navy vessel tasked with stopping migrant boats crossing to Britain. According to party officials, players will face «small boats, mega-dinghies and the occasional Boriswave». The player with the highest score over the next month will win £5,000.
Reform UK funding scandal
The game’s launch comes amid serious questions regarding two £36 million donations from crypto-billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, which were revealed last weekend.
Questions have been raised about the legality of these donations, as both donors may be subject to restrictions on foreign donors under the Representation of the People Bill.
Labour has accused Reform UK of launching the game as an attempt to «distract from the scandal and the allegations that have engulfed Reform UK». A Labour Party spokesperson stated that the government is stepping up efforts to tackle small boat crossings in the English Channel, noting that the number of arrivals this summer was the lowest in six years.
The spokesperson also said that Nigel Farage is once again attempting to divert attention from the funding scandal and several police investigations into the party’s finances.
Meanwhile, Reform UK has launched the SmallBoatWatch app, which tracks the daily number of migrants crossing the English Channel. The party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf said the app allows the public to see the scale of the problem for themselves, adding that Small Boat Scramble allows for «a bit of fun with a very serious issue».
Nigel Farage’s position on the donations
Nigel Farage has acknowledged that the total of £72 million in donations could be deemed illegal under proposed legislative changes aimed at restricting foreign political funding.
The Representation of the People Bill would be retrospective to March 25 and would also apply to donations made within the first year of a person’s return to the United Kingdom. This has raised questions regarding the residency status of both donors.
Ben Delo had been living in Hong Kong but stated in April that he would return to the United Kingdom to bypass restrictions on foreign donors. Christopher Harborne previously resided in Thailand before reportedly registering to vote in Hampshire in June.
On Monday, Nigel Farage told the BBC that both donations are legal under current law, but suggested they could be deemed inadmissible once the legislation changes.
«Both of these donations are 100 per cent compliant with the current law, there is no doubt about that,» Nigel Farage said.
When asked whether Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne were UK residents on March 25, as this status could affect the legality of their donations, he declined to disclose specific circumstances. He maintained that under current law, both donations meet all requirements.
Farage also stated that if the donations were retrospectively deemed inadmissible, Reform UK would push for restrictions on political party funding from trade unions, which would deal a major blow to the Labour Party.
Source: The Independent UK
